


GrimLight

by MorbidOptimist



Series: slenderstuckverse [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, Ghosts, Horror, Slenderstuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 12:44:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14954936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorbidOptimist/pseuds/MorbidOptimist
Summary: Before Dave ever entered the big dark wood, there was Kanaya Maryam; a lover, a blood drinker, a friend. What is a girl to do when she's summed by the corrupted remains of her dearly departed, but to walk boldly into the dens of hungry maws and set -everything- into motion?





	GrimLight

**Author's Note:**

> art is mine, originally posted on my tumblr for a prompt

 

Kanaya Maryam forced her fingers not to shake around the handle of the chainsaw and pinched her lip beneath her teeth. 

She looked at the machine, still warm from its brief breath of life, and then to then to her guide. 

The smiling girl surrounded by static and glitched edges of reality stood amused; Kanaya felt compelled to ask Roxy something. 

Anything. 

She bit the feeling down. 

Inside her pocket, Porrim’s locket weighed heavy, spurring up memories that warmed her from the inside out; she could do this. 

She took one more breath. 

The forest observed her; the proxy, the hounds, the prowlers- Kanaya could feel them and others, hovering near the clearing, their attention pointed. 

Kanaya didn’t even bother trying to look at anything in the darkness between the trees. She just looked at the proxy, and nodded.

“Take me to her, and I’ll sign the deed at dawn.” 

The oath rippled out into the mist, washing over the dew covered grass as a light wind echoed the words further into the forest. 

There was no going back now. 

Not that there ever had been, she supposed. 

Roxy’s grin softened, in genuine contents perhaps; it brought true beauty to the details of the girl’s face. Kanaya hoped that perhaps now, some of the stress eating at the living wreckage would melt away. 

Roxy hoisted herself from her seat and began walking at a brisk pace, but her shoulders remained relaxed; even so, Kanaya kept her grip on her chainsaw firm, just in case. 

Kanaya didn’t try to keep tabs on where they went on how long it took them, and so Roxy, of course, took them the most direct and navigatable route. She wondered to herself if she’d always need Rose’s sister to lead her; thinking to herself further Kanaya made a silent note to ask Roxy about it, before she signed the deed, though she supposed it didn’t much matter either way. 

She made a second note to thank her sire once more, for allowing her the funds to create this ‘wildlife sanctuary’ in the first place; she hoped the forest would be as kind to Porrim as it was to be to her, since without Porrim’s help, the forest would have been at the mercy of Rose’s out great uncle. 

At the thought of the bald, faceless man, Kanaya’s expression soured. 

He wouldn’t get his hands on any place or any part of Rose, she vowed grimly; not while she still drew breath.

The chainsaw in her hand felt cool to her now hot touch. 

Roxy slowed, breaking Kanaya from her thoughts; she refocused her attention in near wonder as the Lalonde estate crawled lumberingly into view. The building itself, while still young and strong boned, was stained from the years of neglect, giving it the appearance that the manor sported tearstreaks from being overwhelmed with great grief. 

She rather supposed it had. 

Her heart tried to seep into her throat; it pained her heart, to think that somewhere inside the decaying house, her dear Rose lay in darkness, alone. 

Roxy pressed a hand to her arm, her fingers gentle; the static around them expelled heat. She smiled softly again; Kanaya half expected her to speak. 

Roxy remained silent however, and led her up the sprawling path to the door. 

The door opened without protest; to her surprise, as her foot crossed the threshold, the house started to light itself, though the bulbs seemed only capable enough to provide illumination that was both flickering and dim. 

Kanaya watched as Roxy walked to the center or the living room and stop as if she were overcome by something.

The urge to speak returned. 

“How did you make it back?” Kanaya murmured, not quite wanting to disturb the air in the house.   

Roxy turned to look at her, and her smile glinted almost cruelly. 

“You can’t hide a god in the void,” Roxy replied evenly, “And not even god can hide from Rose,” she added; “and Rose wanted us all to come home.” 

Kanaya wondered how many others Roxy was referring to in ‘us’, and nodded. 

She still didn’t quite have her way around the proxy’s way of speaking, but she was content in the idea that she had time to learn. As much time as they needed, now. 

“Are you ready to see her?” the girl asked, the pink static clouding her nearly stalling its erratic dance.

“Yes,” Kanaya exhaled, too unbothered by the hint of desperation in her own voice.

“She’ll be with Mother now,” Roxy replied; she tilted her head expectantly before turning to walk up the flight of stairs in the center of the room. 

As they journey up the stairs, Kanaya’s heart fluttered; she had no way of knowing how much, if at all, that Rose would recognize her.

Part of her had the time to wonder if she should discard her tactical gardening machine even as her grip on its handle tightened to the point that the whites of her knuckles began to bloom.  

The womb of the house seemed in good enough state of affairs; if not for the streaks of black crawling along the walls and floor…and ceiling. There seemed to be of it, the deeper into the house they went. 

After walking a long corridor, Roxy stopped in front of a lone door and knocked twice before springing it groaningly open to reveal a lightless swath of darkness encased within. 

Kanaya followed Roxy into it, her breath held. 

On what had once been a bed, loomed a faintly visible flickering sort of apparition that Kanaya could barely make out; it seemed to disappear the longer the longer she looked at it directly, making her slightly dizzy and left a residual displeasing sensation along her tongue. 

Tearing her eyes away from the ghost of what she could only guess to be the family’s late Matron, Kanaya scanned the rest of the room and felt herself overwashed with relief when she picked a figured molded from within the darkness.

“Rose,” she exhaled lengthyly, her heart at her lips. 

She dropped her chainsaw and barely managed to force herself to slow her lunge forward; thinking better of herself, and reeling from the rush, she waited for Roxy to pull Rose out from… herself, -and the darkness- and tried to steady her shaking hands.

The Lalondes embraced each other, coos and sighs supplemented with murmurs and cupped faces. Even the apparition consolidated for a brief moment, to better embrace her childer. 

Kanaya’s eyes started to well up; though she wasn’t sure, she wouldn’t have been surprised if anyone told her she was crying. 

Her body must have made some sort of sound without her knowledge however, because all at once, the three Lalondes turned to her, and it was all Kanaya could do to lovingly return their stare.  

Rose’s eyes were glued to her. 

Kanaya felt her blood rushing behind her ears.

Slowly, Rose’s face began to move.

She smiled, softly, with the funny sort of warmth that Roxy had carried; Kanaya smiled back, her lip caught once more under her teeth as she felt her tears spill freely down her cheeks. 

Somehow, the room felt warmer, despite its permeating chill; though no words were shared, Kanaya understood that stepping closer would not be reprimanded and indeed, from the way Rose and her kin were watching her, Kanaya felt rather invited to step closer. 

Embracing Rose consisted and created sensations and feelings that were altogether incomprehensible for Kanaya to digest, so she didn’t try to. 

True, Rose’s body was… frail, to put kindly. A wraith with little more substance then the eldritch masses ebbing and flowing from her body in constant states of paradoxes; the only color to her was was the hollow golden hair that Kanaya had come to adore from Rose’s photos and the current humanity brimming lavenders of Rose’s eyes.  

As Rose pressed against her, encasing her with the interdimensional swaths of her grimself, she did so tenderly, with a string of quiet, but layered voiced consonants that sort of made Kanaya’s ears feel too hot hearing them, but not overly-unpleasantly so. 

I̗͙̮̩̲͙̤ͯ͊̉͂͡͝ͅẗ̵̸͙͉͕͓̘̲̙̬̽̿̀͌̃ͨ̑̍'̻͉̂͊͆ͣ̚ṡ̵̻͍͎̖̰ͮ͐̔ͥͬ̓̿͟ ̭̻̲͛͌͌̃̏̅̚s̡͎̦̼̳̰̭ͫ̈́ͤ̇̌̍̆ơ̴̘̱̳̈́̔ͩ̓͜ͅ ̓͐̍҉̤͙͔̟̼̪͎ͅg̵̯͕̫͕̦̎͌̇̀̎ͫ͒̉͜ͅơ̸̲̣̺͈̣̮̦ͦͦ̎ͤ͠o͌ͪ̌͋͏̩̳͡d̥̙̣̘̪͇̿͛͌̋ͮͧ̌ͤ͘ ̃́͑͆͌̀͜҉̵͚̹ţ̸̞̺̃ͨͤͥ̿͋̿ơ͉̗̱͈͗ͨͪͧ̉̏ͣͅ ͕̤͍̯͒̈͒̑̋̚͢͜s̮̼͆̓̽e̱͔̬͙͓ͬͣͭͫͅͅe̷̟̙͔̪̺̋ͤ̂̒ͯ͆ͧ͒͟ ̭̦͓͇̲̗̠̙̐̉̓̒ͫ͝y͒̔̂ͩ͗ͯ̚҉̡̮̫͓̲ơ̱͉̯̯̗̣̤̈́u̗͍̼͔ͯ̀̓ͩ̒;̨̉͑ͭ̒́̊͘҉̥̤̣̟̯̼̼̘  
̢̥͎̬̯͑ͫ͞I͉ͣ̇ͬ͘ ͕͕̣̣̰̻̖̜͌d̴̹͙̯̗̩̹͉̯̖̐̋͛ͦͬ̋̕i͉̯͙̖̼ͭ̔ͥ̆d̴̟͖ͬͪn̵̙̯͚̼̈̓̈́̎̈ͩ̈̋̕'͍̖͇͚̣̠̉ͩ͒͒ͩͯͬ͛͜ť͍̯͓̭̊ͮ̆ͫ̎̚̚̕͝ ̦̺͙̩͕͌̌̅ͭ̑ͧͪt̫̩͔͚͚͉̱ͬ͑͆̾͟͠h̞̩͔ͭ̓ͯͣ͐͟į̰̲̪̓ͦn̫̫̮̬͙͓̞̓k̾҉̨͙͚͖̻͓̜ ̵͖̥͈̞͙̹ͧͬ͆͟y̢̻̱͕̝̠͕͔ͫͧ̇̈́ö̹̻̅̕u̬̪̜͎̙̙͚̟̿͗ͪ̽ͮͯ̚'̴̩͔ͦͨ͌ͤͪ̆d̠̣̿͒͂ͩ̏͝ ̺͚̫̋̒̐̿ͭ͊͑e̱̣̹̮̐ͨ̓̋̑ͫv̴̡̼̩̫̝̙ͨ̌̽ͤe͉͕̞̲͍͖͚̐ͪr͎̙̺̱̭̘̲̓͋̒̓͊̓͛ ̴͓͍̝̙̹̉̓ͩ̋̑͋͘͜ç͚̻͂̇ͭ͋̊͋o̴͍͍̞̲̔͜͡m̴͓̞ͫ̆͆͆̉͋̀̋e̡̠̼̞̽ͩͭ ͈͊̌ͥ͛̈́ͮͧ͢f̼̞̮̮̠͈͕̀̇͗̉́͗̍͘͢ǫ̫͙̭̟̫̯̮͂ͨ͆̒ͬͅr̡̛̠̩̼̩͈͍̲ͣ̈́̽̆ ̫͔͈͖͉̝ͨ͂ͮ̓ͤ͋̆m̺̫ͩ̑͝ë̖ͬͤ̆͋̿͋͟͢.̖͔̳̼͖̘̭͈ͮͤ̿͆̐̈̇͜͜͠  
̝̹͉͎̎̽ͯ̈B̵̞͓̗͉̪̼̝̩̆̽u͇̠̺̓̇̅ͥ͑ͮ̆ͣt̵̢̛̖̦͇̦̻͎͚ͪ͗̏̈ͯ ̡̜̩̙̫̤͕̇͊͛͗͌̐h̵̭͔̥͇̝̍ͫ̉̿̏̿͊͐̍e̼̝̲̝͎ͣͧͣ͊ͪr̺̬̬̲̭̦͙̎ͯ͋̈́̇ͫͅȅ̶̛̗̯̄̿̒́͒̈ ̶̥̠̮̎y̬̜͔͗ͮ̔͆ô̗̪̑̈͊̚͝ụ̺̲̅̀̽̓͐̔̆̕͢ ̤͈̈̆͗ͩͫ̈ͩ̾͘͞a͓̖̠̥̟͒ͯr̐ͬ̑ͥ̂ͣ͜҉̙͕̝̙eͩ̋͂͝͝͏ͅͅ.̶̪̯̬͕̬̩̮̬̺̐ͬ̃ͭ̇ͨ̑ ͕̤̳͓̌̏̒͑ͣͬͫ̚͞ 

They could make this work, Kanaya thought. 

She murmured the same thought into Rose’s hair, stroking it lovingly with one hand as her other tightened around Rose’s waist. 

Kanaya’s eyes closed in true contentment, for the first time in a long while. As she basked in the true sense of joy she was feeling, she felt a hand of sorts, brush her shoulder. 

Something cold and unsolid, like a fine mist, pressed along her back and kissed the back of her neck.

Kanaya shivered, -for Madame Lalonde really was quite cold, being a figure now far past ‘not quite deceased’- and then simply enjoyed the notion that Rose’s mother was sharing in their delight; and since Kanaya deeply understood what it meant to rely on others for sources of nourishment, she said nothing as she felt the Matron suckle a few strains of life from the within her bared layers of skin.

Roxy also seemed equally pleased; her nonsensical humming filling the room with sounds far more pleasant than the underlying creaks and moans of the house.   

Kanaya allowed herself to drink in the moment for as long she could; it was only when the deadening feeling along her back began to tingle that she jerked her muscles slightly and dispelled the Lalaondes form her form. 

The grimness returned to Rose’s face; it pained Kanaya to watch it. 

She ushered another throng of words that while she couldn’t understand, felt she got the meaning of. 

T͔̹̃ͭͭ̀͜e̶̮͚͈̐ͥ̔͊l̼̺͇̱͈ͯ̽͛͗ͥ̋͐ͣͅl̛͔̝̳̹͚̓̅ͥͦ ̳͓͔̘͔̹̳́̅̅m̸̨͉̳̹͊͐̓ḛ̡͇̤̠̍ͨ̉͒̅̏ͩ͢,̡͙͉̦̀̎̑ͫ̓̒̾̅̚͞ ͈̩̱̰̫͕̹͑w̧ͭ̋͏͖͓̺ͅh̷̴̡͓̺̠̺̜͚̼ͪ̍̀ͮ̅ȁ͈͎͔̹̈́ț̟̥̬͂̓̊̎ͯ̚͢ͅ'̸̪̥̪̯͓͕͚͍̅͊͗ͯ̃̓ͯͅs̟̆ͯ͂̅̑͛̋ ̷̛̣͈̤͓͋ͨ̾͡g̜̺̣̞͂͐ͧ͐͞ö̗̞̥̯͇͈͒̒̓̎̅̚̚i̯̰̳͑ͨͪ͝ň͙͈̥ͨ̆ͮ́̿͐ͣg̶̺̟ͮ̐̎̋̅ ̭̭̆̆̒ͅṯ̬̰͎̲̻͇̾̇͆̿͂ͅơ̶̬͓̎͛ͦͨ̓͜ ̷͉̊͗ͧ̐ͭ̓ͥ͝h̴̳́̀ͣ̈ͪ̈́̚ả̻͍̩̪̤̫͚̝͙ͪ̐̊̅̿̎͒pͣ͒̋͛̇̊ͅp̧͉̳̾̃ȅ̸͚̖̬̟̟̻̙̤̑̚n̘͈͑͆ͤ̾ͦ̾̽ ̄̚͏͕̠i̧̞̲͎ͭͫͯͤ̓ͫ̈́ͫ͜ͅn̸̩̫͔̳̣ͪ̃̄́̌͝͝ ̵̵̙̲̺͉̯̝̭̦͛̚t͉̪̲̳ͭ͊͞h̵͙͎̝̬̣̩̊̂͐̑͒͂ͪ́ͯ͜e̷͈͂̒̈́͗̇ͦ͡ ̸̢͍͔ͭͦ̈́͡ͅm̧̢̤̯ͩ̂ͧ͌̌́̚o̵̼̰̦̐̄̑͡r̲̰͙̫̺̟̒̒ͥ̍ͦ͞͝nͤ̍̚҉͙̦͎̗̭͎̬į̷̳̣ͬ̃̊́ͤ̌ͨn̹̺̪͕̳̩͈̈́ͦ͑̈̈́g̢̝̠ͩͪͥ̚͝?̵͓͉̭̬̻̒̆͒̉͐ͪ͊  
̫͓̳͚ͨ̾̋̋ͬ̎ͤD̼̒͝͠ī̤̝̺͐̓̿ͭͦ̐ͯ͜d̯̳͎͇̪̦̃̈́ͪ ͚̠̪̠͕̓ͬ͝ͅy̘̯̮̞͖̪̻̌̑̔ͦͭ̚̚ǫ̜̠͔͚̹͔̫̑ͧͯͪͪ͂̄͠u̗̻̝͇̺̔̐̔͛͊͋̂̌ͪ͡ ̷̱̤̽̂ͬ͑ͮ̓ạ̧͙̙̘̻̗ͨ̄̿͑ͧt̵͕̮͔̹͓̯͌̉̎͆̅ͣ͑̅ ̸̴̙̤ͥ̑l̷̇̿͆̎͛͏͎̙̦̟̘͞eͪ͏̛̜͜a̧̦̋͜ṣ̢́ͫ̚͜t̢̛̜̲̜̜̝͒ͣ̍̒̓ͯ͟ ̅ͣͣ̅̇҉̲̙͘g̷̮̤̪̼ͮ̅͟͟ḙ̻͈̼̗̺̼̼̲ͥ̎̇͑͛͢͜t̷̩̭̖͕͎̺̯̼͂̓̏̅̕ ̰̬͍̝ͩͤ͛̂͡m̝͉̱̻̒̆̎̄̊y̴̯̖͐̑͘͜ ̹̪͗͑͆U̠̥̤̲͆̇̓̍ñ͓̺̦͓͇̮ͭ͐ͬ͑ͮ͐͗ͪc̷̶̝̬̾ļ̴͔͍̘̜̻͍͉̎̓ͧͣ̃͛͟e̴̔̀̇͌́҉̝ ̮̟̦͚̺̲̹͓̥̂̀͐̽̑ͭ͝t͚̣̖̞̳̱͆̀̑͆̾̿̑͑̓ô͔̻̭̥̘͎̣ͬ̅ ̹̥͓͕̼̩̓ͨ̍ͅa̟̼͔ͣͨ̋ͬͪ̒͞g̨̠̎̉r̠͙̱͖̜͙̞̟͇̀̍ͩ̉ͥ͌͟͞ẻ̛̖̫ͧͬ̽̏̈ͤͧě̢̧̼̼̹̬̯̘̘̀̿̇̋ͪ́̽ ̙̭̹̜͂̑̔̈́ͣ̚̚t̡ͧͧͨ͞҉̩̹̻͎ọ̹̥̎̈ͪ̈́̀ͬ ̣͐̌̈́͛̈́ͮ̃ͭ͠d̤̿̒̍͘̕ẽ̵̖̮͔̩̀͟mͫ̍͂̎̚̚҉̼̭͍ǫ̞̲͈͚ͣ̃l̞͇̗̀ͦ̉̄͌ͯi̞̮͇̮̟͌͛̑̔͞s̙̺̹̺̹̪͔̋̆ͮ̔͂̄̉͘͟h͚̮̥̝̲͔̰͚̙͑ͬͤ̂͌̿ͯ͛̊͡ ̶̨̤̜̤͉̞̪̑ͪ̂͂t̨̥͕̪̻͇̖͉͊̔ͮͪ̐̇h̺̟̺̤̿̊̈ĭ̋͏̟̜̮͉͓̣s̹̯̳ͧ̃ͮ͛ ̟̳̮̣͍̯̠̓̂ͫ͝p̛̝̗̤̻͍ͪ̊̎ͮͨ͂͛ͫ͐ͅl̞̟̥͍ͩ̆̈͆a͒̓ͣ̏̎̉͌͏͚̥̥͇̳̮c̷̷̲̘̮̜̠͔̮̎ͮ̔̈̑͌e̢̼͍̘̗͛̀̑,̦̳̳͍͂̎͐̈́̐̂̌̓ͤͅͅ ̛̣̠̤̖̱̟̺̥ͫ̃̒ͫ̐ͥ͜͝ì̺̲ͪͮ̽̃͒ͭ͐͢n͒̿ͥͪ͐͘͏̝̯s̸̵̱͉͔̻̖͍̑͒ͪ̍́ͩͪ̔͜ͅt̠̃̄͢͟e̸̾ͦ͌ͫͣͤ̿͏͔̫̖a̰͉͚̦͚͂̈̓̀͜d̵̢̜͓̤͚ͨͯ͗ͩͯ̋̓̉̃ͅ ̮̯̣̣̰̬͓ͪ͆̄͜͠ȏ̶̬̩͔̜͙̬̺̃̑̃̓͠f̷̛̘̗̮͓̓̇ ̡̖̼̞̘̻͕͖ͦͯ͘ṙ̦̃ͦ͋̀ͦ̚̚e͑ͩͮ̄͛ͣ͒̀͏̺̟v̠͆̑̉i̦̪ͤ͊̑͂͊̊͊ͣv̡ͯ̋ͧͬͪ̆҉̱ȉ̷̺͎̟͙͈̪̘͈ñ̼͓̩̩̬̠̼̤͈͛̓͊ͥ̑͟g̳͚͕͈̉ͨͮ͑̃̿͆͡ ̛͈̜̜͓̈̆͒i͕̻͙͍͇͗̃̾̉̊̾͒̐ͅt̟̼̾̈́ͣ͒̐?̳̬̦̞̖͆̀ͫ  
̥̜̭̯̩̞̫ͬͦI͋ͧ҉͕̲͝'̴̣̘̙̮̪̜͇̦ͩ̂̾̀͛͞d̻͔͉̠̹̆̈́͗̏̊́̕͜͡ ̖̟͕̩̦̳͒̊ͭ̉̅͗̐̒͘͡ͅs̸̸̨̮͍̒͂͆ͮ͐͗̈ő̫̺͎̞̗͖̥ͫ̑̋̽͊͑̐ͅo̼̹̭̬̫ͪ͂̉̚n͔͕̞̘̋͆̂̀̀̽ͫ̚͟͠è̶ͯ̐̎͏͉̖͕͙͈̪̺̤̙r̖̺̬͆̽̔̐̇̅ ͧ̌͡͏̩͇̬̭̗̻d̸̴͎̯ͧ̌ͮͮ́͂i̓҉҉͇̹̗̘̗ͅe̜̝̺̯͙̯̱̓͋ ̼̣̳̥̙͉͎́͆̌̕t̗̘̭̻̹̿ͭh̴̠̐͋̓͊̂̚e̳̻̝͒n̴̬̗͙̘̼̔̔̎͜͝ ̨̻͖̪̟͖̲̖̱͛̽̂ͭ̀͞l̴͕̰̙͎͔̩ͦ͆͂̾ͥ̒͡͞ě͔̲͕̞̘͇̣̐t̴̙͈̲̬̙͔͙͎ͬ̂͂̈́̄ͥͤͧ ̵̮̬̥͔̱̙͚̈́̅̍͌ͯͩ̄͌͟h̢̲̩͙̲͔̖̓ͦͧ̍ͥ͠i̷̶͉̟̎̎m̧̍̎̋ͤ͑ͮ̚͏̮̩̣͈ͅ ̨͕͖̜ͩ̌ŗ̵̛̙͖͔̀͆ư͈̱̖̫͔̾̚i̵͕̤ͫ͊͊ͫ̑̄͠ǹ̤̥̊͆̉̿ͨ̋̚͞͝ ̞̼̋ͯͦ̊ͯͪ̋u͔͚̞̝̘̗͍̭͐ͧ͌̕͘ş̼͉̿̉̋͜ ̝̫͊̀ͩ̉͊a̯̽̉g͍̯̫̺͂̄ͭ̉͘a̸̟̗͐ͩ͛ͩ̅ͤ̏̇î̫̠͎̟̩̥ͭ̍̿ͩͩ̈ņ̣͙̄.̵̞̺̜͓͒ͭ̓ͯ͋̓̒͢ ͉̼̜̜̓͆̀̋̂ͮ 

“I’ll be signing the deed in the morning,” Kanaya offered slowly; “I would have bought this place, a long time ago you know, but… well, to be quite frank, I wasn’t so sure where it was or… what was left of you.” 

Rose’s face faltered for a moment; she reached out with a human limb, and placed her hand gently against her arm. Rose smiled. 

Rose spoke.

 

Í̝̪̘̦̥̮̟͍̹̅͢ ̜͉̙̜̩̰ͦ̆̾ͮ̉͡f̮̪͎̗̄o̵͇͖͍̖̠͖̰͗͌̿̆̒͘ͅr̬̥̩̤̣̻̠̄͒̒̌̍ͪͯg̴̰̝̼̜̠̽̂ͦͦ̎ͨi̫ͫͩͤͤ͜v̲̣͔̀ͨe̛͎̞͖̗̤̮ͩͣ̎̏̎́ͩ͜ ̠̖̪̟́ͩ͞y̨̟͚̘̱͕̠͑̍̉o͓͓͈̭̺̗͈̣̅ͩû̧̯̭̣̞̼̫̭̃̊͛ͩ.͉̤ͮ̉̃ͣ͗̑̏  
̧̨̝͈͙̩̲̮̞́̈́̈Y̱ͤ̓̿̐o̸̵̶̺̘̅́ͪͅu̡̱̱͖̯̟͙̪̾͞ ̢͖͙̟͙̜̣͔͚͍̔̾̊̏͛a̸̲͚̱͇̞̽ͯ͛̏̎ŕ͚͚̪͎̿̉̃̋̓ͥ͘͟e̷̡̫̗̦̺̖̠̘̟̰͒͗͛͡ ͍̘̠̩̓̾̋̆̾̂ḫ̷͎̥̫̼̏ͥ̃̆̋ĕ̳̥͖͇̫͓̉͗̈͊͗̂̚r͆҉̶͎͈̼̹͍͈͘ẹ̸̞̦̳̤͂ͦ̿̋͜ ̭̪̭͈̰ͩ̌ͭ͛̔͒ͬ̚͘͡ǹ̥̹̮͕̻͠o̝͕͔͓̪̝̱ͬͣ́͑͡wͥͣ̐͆̐̊ͨ̋҉̠͕̣͎͙̺̱̹.̷̛̫̙̾ͤͩͪ̓̚͠ ̫͉̺̥̗͓̫ͦ̋̀̏ͅ  
̷̱̟̣̱̜̞ͬͯ̈̐͂ͩ͋͒Ẏ̌͛ͫ͒͋͊̅ͮ҉̧̫̦o̸̼̘̐̓ͥ̓̈́͞u̦̲ͬͭ̂ͤ͋̐͜͝ ̷̸̠̼̩̩ͣ͋͌ͥ͋̈ͅş͍͉̝̱̼̬ͮ̈̓ͪͪ̅̒h̨̙̙͖͚̻̜̓̿ͨͨ̋̓̚̚͡͞ã̙̪͍̩͔̣̜͕̹ͤ̾̒ͯͪ̚͝ḻ̴̷͕̮͓̼̼̣͗̄̊͐͊̿̑̍ĺ̨͌͏̦̜ ̫̭̺͂̔ͬ͆ͮ̚̕s͋͌͐͂̌͏̰͔̺͕̯t̯͇̗͙͑͛̐̐ͦͩͥ̚͢a̝̞͉̫̯̘ͤͦ͌y̺̱͖͚̹̹̮̦̍ͪ̐ͥ͝ ̛͍̼͔͎̫̺͕̩͂͋ͯͧ̈ͪ̒ͅw̩ͨͫ́ͧͩi̸̴̻͎͖̱͙̱̮̝ͯͨͅt̽ͪ̌͑̓҉̥̪̩̤h̵̗̻̝͚̽͒͗͡ͅ ̸̶̧̰̯̭̦̩̠̼͈ͧ͛m̡̢̤͎̳̒̔̈́ͨ̿̂̈̀ê̬͈͔̪͎͆ͮ,̪̰̝ͤ ̰͚̺͙̩̰̬̳̾ͥ̍̇̄ā͉̱̱̮̠͉̮̍̋̃̈́͞ļ͈̯̟̘͎̘͕ͩ̀ͯ̍͌̕ẘ̸͚̬̗̲͕̜̐̏ͭ̽͒͆a̵͖̳̯̩ͪͩ̒͞y͉̮̮̞̜̞͓͎̰ͦş̷̷͔̼̲͇̫͉̳̯̿̀̉ͫͤ͌͌͆͗.͐̓͏̘̭̠̦̦͍͙  
̭̱͍̹͒ͤͪ̊͘I̭̘̅̓́ͫ̌̕ ̫̗̭ͦ̏͛̊́̍̉l̑̅ͨ҉̤̭̞̦̕ơ̱̠͕̓͆͜v̫͕͍͓̳̓̐̕ė͂̇̋̃͑̅̈͏̳̩ ͕̱͇͓͛͛y̘̺̞̙̙ͣ͌́̆͂͊̅͒o̶͕͉͇̮̲͂ͧ͗ͨ̅ư̡̢̪̭̩̗͇͎̯̽ͮͦ͆̉̐ͯ̄.̷̡̳͐ͭ̄͛͊ͮͩ̚  
̧̑̏̉ͣͫ͗̉̚҉͕̬̖̭̤̬̬̳K̞̭̦̣̹͎͋͂̋̍ͤ̓͜͢á̗̤̝̝̞̟̖̏͐͡͝n̷̡̳͖͓͒̒̓̌̇͆̏͝a̳̭͈̙̳̬͙̻͑̌ͥ͗͂ͅy͛̑ͪ҉̭̩̯͙͚̰̱̺͢ͅȁ̴̡͉͓̙̺̖̜̪̥̈́ͬ͑ͫ̊̓ͪ;̛̝͍͉̝͉ͪ̋ͨ͒ ̻͙͔̇ͫ͌͌̽ͧͨͨ͟m͙͎͇̜̰̖͕̝ͭ̓̉͊͂͋̈́͗̄̕͜y̨͇̦̅ͨ̿̈̋ͣ ̧̜ͨ̑ͦ͌̄̊ͮl̷͈͊͂ͮ͝ỉ́ͪͬ̽͏͇͙̠͉g̷̶̟̻͕̭̮̮̘ͫͮ̆̚͡h̟̗̻͕̗͓͋ͩͣ̇̇͜ţ̦͈̩̟͕͕ͫ̉,̟̏  
͖͓̯̝̼̅̒̿́̈̕͡B̨̢͚̮͓̅ͨṛ̣͇͉ͦ͋̓i̡̡̟͈̥͖̭ͮ̆ͣͣ̾̂͋ͩ͞ń̝̗̱̘̥̩͙͙͍̋̊ͧͣ͋̉̈̏g̷̗̟̺̝̲͚͕ͦ͗ͤͧ̈́͑͊ ̜̭̰̀͐̏̎̇͒͟m̥͔͖̫͕̤̎̅̽͌́͑͗ͨy̧̜̗̺̮̣̻͔͋̒ͬ͒̈͝͡ ̩̳͖͙̬̝̙ͫ̑̃̒̕b̩̭̝̮̟̰͓̘ͬ̌̐̔̚ͅř̫̘̳̰ͥͩͬ͡o̶͎̗͗̂ͪ͆̔̐t̢̨͎͕͔ͤ͂͛͐͂͛ͥ̆̚h̛̠̹̫̯̪͍̅ͪ͢͠e̖͙̠͓̯ͪ̎̂̍́͆͆ͩr̨̲̮̩̊̅ͮͧ̆̓s̴͎̲̭̳͚̬̲̬ͫ͡ ̻͕̙̤̗̜̳̰ͬ̒̀ͣ̊̿ͫͮ͠t̸͓͓̲̥̪̹̮͚̫ͤͦ͌̊̊ö̢̺̦̭̳̠͔̼́ͣ̓ ̨̣ͧ̈̎͆ͭ̑ͧ̓͜m̪̂͢e̵̛̙̰̰̱̻̗̯͊ͫ̑ͬ̚,̙͇͎ͩͨͯͅͅ ̸̣̻̖̤̥͚͉͎̓͑̅̈ą̟̱̱̪̹̫̮̰͇̏͒͞n͖̤͇͖̝̩̽͋̾̑̈͊͑d̸ͪ͂͟҉͉̰̘̻ ̨̢͎̤̦̞̤̪̯̹͆͛̿̏ͤ̇̅w̷͎̲̪͒̔ͪ̕e̵͕̗̾͛͛̓ͭ͒ ͍͉̻̞̻͉̳̠̎͊͂̉͟͡s̜͓̩̭͖̝ͦͫͧ͢h̳͔͔̙̎̾̾͊̑̚͘a̢͇̻̍̋ͮ̇ͭ̀̌ͤͮ͝l̴̶̸̙͉͑͛͛ͤl͕͓̱̤̯̜͍̅ͭ͛ͬ̋̄͌̏͢ ̛̰̖̻̙͕̖̬̉̈̒̑̓̊̇̇͗͜b̶̵̙̹̪̟̞̳̊ͨ̂̚ē̵͓̖̽̚ ̝̱̼̃͋͛͘͢t̠̫̘̩͇̓ͭ͗ͮ̾ͣo̞̲͉͈̗̜̲̳͂̓̄ͨ̎g̛̜̦̦̭͍̯͖͔̘̿ͥ̍e̵̸̝͔̩͗̈t͕̪͙͕͕͈̳̞̦̓̒͜ẖ̵̞̺̊͑̑͑e̴̖̞̻̙͕͕͕̥͍̔͛͐ͥͫ͗̊̿́r͓̲͉̖̈̏́͋̕ ̧̦̮̮͔̗̭͑ͫͧ̄ͤ̂͘ǎ̵͉̦̻̹̜͂̀͞ͅl̴̞̗̹̀̆̿ͨw̤̖̺̺͎͕̤̺ͩ͑̾̑͝a̬̞̓͐y̴̵͔̩̺͖̻͉̜̭͕̾͌͌̊̊̄̃s̶̶͖̮͓̫͎͈͓͙͈ͪ̾̏.̵̴̳͉̫̼̬͉̩̔̐̓̋ͮ̽ͭ́̽ ̴̳̙̝̹̖̯̗́̚  
̸̢̜̝̈ͫ̽K͎̼̲͍͚̼͈̅ͪ̊̔ͤ͗̃i̷̞̖̍͆̀̓̔͒̚͝s̸̟̯̯͉̜͈̠̭ͦ̔ͭ̈̅̄̋̏̚͡s̜͔͍͖ͪͧ̌͋ ̧̞͖͙̙͊͗ͪ͟m̵̛͙͚̞̞͓͓̒ͥ͊ͅḙ̷̛͙͉̺̖͉̰̋ͅ.̧̈ͤ̆̑̓͏̘͍̪͇͞ 

 

As then, as Rose’s lips molded against her own, Kanaya felt a new plan begin to mend itself in her mind; Porrim said the most important thing creatures such as they could have, was family. Rose nestled freshly against her and Kanaya’s mind raced along the seamer; thoughts pinning pictures of inheritance folders and catch clauses. She only hoped that Dirk would fall for the bait and then live past biting it. A good haunted house atmosphere would be easy enough to create, she figured, but keeping the boy alive was going to be messy. 

And as she caught a glimmer in Roxy’s eyes, Kanaya felt she might actually hold the power to return Rose’s lost kin to her; confidence was a funny kind of feeling. 

Porrim was going to be exasperated by this, she thought absently. 

It wasn’t as if Kanaya had intended for things to get this far as it was, but such was life, she supposed. 

Kanaya stilled her thoughts, and returned to basking in Rose’s existence, not knowing for how much longer the girl was going to be in control of herself; she wanted to make the most of every minute. 

There would be plenty of time for worrying, for meddling, for mothering; right now, Kanaya was just going to follow Roxy’s advice, and be still. 


End file.
